Clarity!
by ysosuke
Summary: After experiencing a traumatizing accident that forced her to quit surfing competitively, a girl from Australia goes to Japan to live with her uncle, and enters Iwatobi High. Shortly after joining the swimming club, she gradually finds herself trusting others again, and learns to overcome her past by seeking the true meaning of friendship and forgiveness.
1. Prologue

**_Story Title: Clarity!_**

**_Author: Ysosuke_**

**_Rating: T; Contains spoilers from FREE!, violence, inappropriate language, and suggestive themes._**

**_Characters: Haruka Nanase, Makoto Tachibana, Nagisa Hazuki, Rei Ryugazaki, Rin Matsuoka, and the rest of the FREE! cast. It will also feature a couple OC's. I have warned you._**

**_Summary: After experiencing a traumatizing accident that forced her to quit surfing competitively, a girl from Australia goes to Japan to live with her uncle, and enters Iwatobi High. Shortly after joining the swimming club, she gradually finds herself trusting others again, and learns to overcome her past by seeking the true meaning of friendship and forgiveness.  
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**_"Friendship flourishes at the fountain of forgiveness." — William Arthur Ward.  
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**_Disclaimer: I do not own Free!, neither its plot nor character's. They belong to their respectful owners. What I do own, however, are my OC's._**

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_**Prologue**_

**_Torquay, Victoria, Australia _****_—_****_ 3 years ago_**

"Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen, to the Junior Portion of the Piping Hot Surf Festival! We're expecting a great competition today. We've got skateboarding on the half-pipe; we've got all the action in the water with today's top amateur surfers. In semi-finals, heat wave number 1, we have six competitors. In orange, (FN/LN); in black, Valerie Michaels; in pink, (FN/LN); in yellow, (FN/LN); in blue, Shion Nanase, and in white, Aya Hughes."

I looked at the waves. Gentle curves of one meter with a right break towards the rocks. The water glistened beautifully as the warm rays of the sun reflected off the ocean's surface.

I turned my head to look behind me and scanned the crowded beach. Almost a thousand people came to watch and cheer for us today, maybe even more through television and radio of popular sponsors such as, Hurley, Billabong, Rip Curl and many others were placed all around the beach. If I make it to the top-three, I might be able to get sponsored by one of the few. Dream comes true, huh.

Eventually, I found who I was looking for. Standing in the crowd, with his arms crossed, was the burgundy hair-colored boy with oddly sharp teeth, Rin Matsuoka, my older brother, Tatsuya, and my father. I caught my brother waving his hands frantically to grab my attention. In response, I raised my hand.

Taking in the sight of the crowd one last time, I returned my gaze to the horizon and paddled towards the upcoming wave.

"Black, Valerie Michaels, you're in first. White, Aya Hughes, you're in second—looking for a 3.2 to overtake that top spot. Blue, Shion Nanase, you're in third, requiring a 4.1 to overtake first place," the announcer continued. "May I remind you, Ladies and Gentlemen, the winners of today's contest will qualify for the Australian Regionals!"

I watched Aya as she caught her second wave. Known for her graceful aerials, she carved the top of the wave and managed to pull off a smooth aerial, landing perfectly onto the water, following a short tube.

"Aya Hughes finds a cover-up to finish things off—a solid wave for white," the announcer said. I heard the crowd cheer and watched her paddle towards me. We both gave each other a high-five and she pointed towards the next wave.

"It's yours," she said, smiling, and I nodded my head. Quickly turning my board, I began to paddle towards the shore, feeling the water slowly rise behind me. I wasn't alone; Valerie wanted the wave, too.

"Looks like we have a paddle-battle here," the announcer informed.

"My wave, Nanase; it's mine!" Valerie said, paddling harder. I did the same.

"It's blue and black scratching for a solid set wave; Valerie Michaels taking the inside off of Shion Nanase." I stopped paddling and pulled my board back to avoid getting caught by the wave.

"Damn it," I mumbled, and paddled back towards the beach.

"Here she is, up and riding. Valerie Michaels kicks things off with a very nice ride, and a strong carve at the top," the announcer said. "She definitely knows what the judges are looking for. Now that's a solid wave for black."

When I met the shore with my surfboard in hand, my father greeted me almost instantly.

"Valerie stole my wave—I had it," I said, gripping my board tightly. I was a bit disappointed.

"It's okay, it's alright, but look," my father began and I looked at him, listening intently. "Next time, I want you to really focus on diving into the water as hard as you can. You need to rip that paddle back. You gotta be fast, okay?"

"Okay."

I took a quick sip of water and headed back to the ocean to meet up with the other competitors. To qualify for regionals, I need a couple more points, and this final wave was the key. All six of us paddled towards the upcoming wave. I gripped onto the board as I watched the wave build up.

"Whoa, a big ones coming," one girl said, and all of us dived into one of the smaller waves to wait for the next. Immediately, I paddled towards the next wave with Aya and Valerie following behind me.

"With five minutes remaining in this final, white, Aya Hughes, you're in first; black, Valerie Michaels, you're in second; blue, Shion Nanase, you're currently in third," the announcer informed.

"You can do it, Shion!" my father called out.

"Go, go, go!" Rin and Tatsuya cheered.

As the rest of the competitors caught their set of waves behind us and began retreating back to shore, Aya, Valerie, and turned our boards back and began to quickly paddle. The girl was right; the wave this time was no ordinary wave. It was much bigger—engaging carves on large waves like this one would mean an instant wipe out.

"Aerials, yeah?" Aya called out.

"Yeah!" I replied, focusing my approach towards the curve of the wave. I turned to take a quick glance behind me and noticed no one there.

"Aya! Where's Valerie?" I questioned, holding my balance. Aya stopped paddling and let the wave move her. She was surfing behind me now.

"I don't know!" She informed me and I returned my gaze to the front.

"Surfers! This is your final wave!" the announcer informed us. We both paddled hard and caught the large wave. It was largest wave yet; it was bigger than the both of us. One wrong move and you'll meet the reef face-to-face.

I slowly stood up and surfed down the wave as fast as possible to avoid getting caught, Aya doing the same.

"This is it!" I told her.

"Oh yeah!" She cheered. We maintained the distance between us to avoid colliding and rode the wave, occasionally swerving up and down to speed up the ride.

"This wave is stacking up to be a beautiful tube! Nanase should score big on this one!" the announcer commented, and I turned around to look at the tube behind me. I heard the loud crashes of water with a strange, shallow echo of the tube. I smiled and faced the front. It was now or never. Bending my body slightly to gain speed, I rode the tube—

_Splash!_

"Oh wait! Valerie Michaels drops in!"

Valerie surfs down and cuts the distance between Aya and me, continuing to speed up. She nudges the right side of Aya's board, but Aya swerves away to avoid losing her balance.

"It looks like Valerie Michaels, black, is going to take out Aya Hughes, white!"

My eyes widened, and I bent my shoulders a bit more to gain extra speed.

"This is my wave, Hughes! I'm going to regionals! I'm going to win!" Valerie called out, and nudged the edge of Aya's board again. She swerved one more time, almost losing her balance.

"Winning isn't everything!" Aya replied, trying to gain speed. I turned my board upwards and surfed down, cutting Valerie off.

"What's Nanase doing?" the announcer questioned. Valerie began to wobble on her board, but steadied herself by bending forward.

"Go, Aya, go!" I told Aya.

"No, I'm not leaving you!" She replied.

"I don't believe it! This contest was Nanase's to win! But now, Valerie Michaels is pushing Nanase, blue, and Hughes, white, out of bounds and into the bone yards! Unbelievable!"

Panic was beginning to build up within me. It was getting hard to avoid the sharp rocks; what if the wave catches me first and I wipe out?

"Just follow me, Shion!" Aya called out.

"I—I can't!" I cried out. Suddenly, Valerie nudged the back of my board and I ended up riding a small ramp of rock, sending me a couple feet into the air. I landed roughly onto the water, swerving frantically left and right, trying to regain my balance. Once I did, Valerie, Aya and I were side by side, riding a small portion of open space with no obstacles. From a distance, I saw a large rock structure, signaling the end the ride.

I gasped, and pointed towards the area.

"Hey! Look out!" I informed Valerie.

"No! You look out!" She barked back and pushed me off my board.

I felt a pair of arms catch me and looked up. "Aya?"

"Promise me that you'll keep surfing, okay? Keep surfing!" She told me.

"W—wait! What!"

"Keep surfing, keep surfing!" She repeatedly told me. I noticed tears were beginning to stream down her eyes. I turned to look at Valerie and she began swerving left and right, and bailed out, crashing her board onto the rock. My eyes widened in shock and I turned to look at Aya once more.

"Keep surfing, keep surfing! Promise me that!" She was yelling now, and her tears began to flow much faster. I faced towards me and my eyes widened.

"Aya! Watch out!"

Aya pushed the back of the board down and tightened her grip on me, bailing. For only a moment, I saw her board crash onto the rock, breaking into chunks with a splattering 'crack'. Aya flipped me over when we landed into the water with a loud 'splash'. I opened my eyes and met her emerald ones. Her eyes were filled with fear; she was scared.

The large wave crashed above us, pushing us deeper towards reef. She screamed and I closed my eyes. Everything was going to be okay.

I felt the current lift our bodies towards the surface for a moment, and push us down again as another wave crashed. The power of the wave was so strong; it left us tumbling over and over until suddenly—

_Crack!_

Aya stopped screaming and her grip loosened quickly around me. I opened my eyes and my body froze. As the current slowly began to drift me away, crimson blood began to cloud the water. I searched her body, looking for the main source of where the blood was coming from. I was expecting a small wound of some sort and speculated that she hit her head; instead, I found a rock, as sharp as a dagger, sticking out of her chest.

It had pierced her heart.

Aya was…

I was speechless; she was dead.

I was frozen with fear and sadness; she was gone.

I couldn't move; paralyzed. Why?

I swam up towards the surface, and coughed the excess water I swallowed. Another wave approached and crashed above me, sending me tumbling down again. I felt a sharp pain hit my body and grabbed my shoulder, only to cut the palm of my hand. I screamed and pushed myself from the rock, removing the dagger-like rock from my shoulder. Blood began to quickly ooze from the wound; I felt my arm and chest throb in pain.

"There she is!" I heard from a distance. The water was steady now, did I reach the shore?

"Hey!" Another voice called out. I stared at the sky, not moving. I tried lifting my head up, but it was too heavy. Why was it heavy?

"Shion! Shion!" A familiar voice said. My vision was slowly beginning to blur. I blinked and saw a boy with burgundy-colored hair with tears streaming out of his eyes. Why are you crying?

I blinked again and saw a man with tanned skin, brown hair and blue eyes. His face was filled with worry and fear.

"Stay with me, Shion!" he said.

My hearing was slowly beginning to fade. I felt my body being lifted from the ground. The sky's color changed from baby-blue to metallic-grey.

"Please don't die, please don't die!" Another familiar voice said. I blinked again and met a pair of green eyes. I can hear the siren of the ambulance now. Was it always this loud?

"Talk to me. Stay with me, you have to stay with me," the paramedic said, preparing the oxygen mask. "You gotta look at my eyes, okay?"

I blinked and tried to tilt my head towards him. The stinging pain returned and I stopped moving.

"Where's my family?" I managed to say.

"They're on their way. They're going to meet us in the hospital," he said. I blinked again and stared at the ceiling of the vehicle. My eyelids felt heavy now, I wanted to sleep.

The paramedic took his small flashlight and checked my eyes. I heard something rip, followed by the sound of repetitive beeping, which I knew was coming from a machine.

"She's going into hypovolemic shock; we're almost there, okay?" he told me and slipped an oxygen mask over my face. I blinked again and mumbled something. Are we there yet?

I felt the ambulance car stop and the doors blared open.

"She's got a stab wound on her left shoulder; severe loss of blood—her blood pressure is 70/40 dropping," the paramedic informed the nurses.

It was suddenly really bright now, but why was it so blurry? I could hear voices around me—they're beginning to muffle.

"Shion, you're going to be okay!"

"Everything's going to be fine!"

"Shion, stay with us; stay with us!"

"Please don't take her, please don't take her!"

Everything was getting brighter and brighter. What's happening? Where am I? Am I dying?

Suddenly, bright light flashed before my eyes and the first thing I saw was clear, blue waves with white clouds in the sky.

I couldn't see anyone around—no people, no trees, no mountains, nothing.

It was just water and waves alone.

I closed my eyes and inhaled the smell of the ocean, taking in its scent; salty yet sweet?

I opened my eyes and faced forward; I rode the wave at ease. It was such a beautiful, calm, peaceful feeling. I wanted to stay like this forever.

Surf forever.

Forever.

Bright light was all I could see now—that's my destination. That's where I want to go.

Follow the light.

"Keep surfing," a voice said. "Keep surfing."

"Yeah," I said to myself.

_Keep surfing._

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**_Sydney, Australia _****_— 4 years ago_**

"Since we're talking about surfing, why don't you give us your thoughts about surfing?" the interviewer said to me.

"Surfing, surfing…" I trailed off, "Where do I start?" I asked him.

The man sitting in front of me was holding a clipboard with a couple sheets of paper clipped onto it that listed a variety of questions. I kept my hands closed together on my lap and tightened my grip whenever he asked a question. It was a bit nerve-wracking, I suppose. I've never done anything like this before—one-on-one.

"How about just at the beginning?" he suggested. I felt something spark within me, like an idea.

I knew what I was going to say.

"The water is alive. Once you dive in, it will immediately bare its fangs and attack. But there's nothing to fear. Don't resist the water. Thrust your fingers into the surface and carve an opening. Then, you slide your body through that opening. Moving your arms, your head, your chest… Don't resist the water. Welcome it."

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_****__Author's Note: Yo, feel free to review and provide feedback. It always helps! _


	2. Chapter 1: Iwatobi Town

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Free!, neither its plot nor character's. They belong to their respectful owners. What I do own, however, are my OC's._**

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_**Chapter 1: Iwatobi Town**_

_I'll pick you up at the station, ok? Have a safe trip!_

I pressed the empty message bar, which instantly scrolled up the 'QWERTY' keyboard so I could create a new message.

_Yeah, see ya later. I'm boarding my flight now, and thanks._

I pressed 'SEND' and paused for a moment, waiting for the message to be sent. Once it was done, a green message bubble popped up, which notified me that the text message was sent successfully. I pressed the small lock button on top of my iPhone and tucked it inside my jacket's right pocket.

It was twenty-two degrees Celsius in Sydney, the sky a perfect, baby blue that was painted with soft, white clouds. I stood waiting in line to get my boarding ticket checked and verified by one of the flight attendants. I sighed impatiently, the line was really long. It was the first week of April, and for educational events in Japan, it was the end of summer vacation and the start of a new semester. As to be expected, the majority of students and families boarding this flight were high.

It was a ten-hour flight from Sydney to Tokyo, another hour and fifteen minutes in a small plane to Tottori, from Tottori Airport is another twenty minutes to the Tottori Station, and finally, half an hour from the station to Iwatobi. Train travel doesn't bother me; the ten-hour flight to Tokyo, though, I was a little worried about.

I absolutely dislike flying. I hate the stomach-sinking feeling you get when the plane took off and descended to land, even the turbulence makes my stomach churn. There was one experience I encountered regarding turbulence that I can never seem to forget. When I was twelve, my father and I traveled to Australia due to his 'work.' The flight was rough and the constant turbulence was horrendous, I ended up becoming extremely nauseated and light-headed that my face began to turn different shades of green. As I struggled with severe motion sickness, I eventually emptied my stomach, seconds before the plane even touched the runway. It was not a pretty sight.

Shoji, my uncle, had been fairly okay with the whole thing. He seemed honestly pleased, and was certainly excited that I was coming to live with him for the first time. He'd already gotten me registered for high school and was going to help me find a job and get a motorcycle.

It was an early Sunday morning when I landed in Tokyo. Surprisingly, it wasn't raining like the weather reporter said it would; the weather was perfect, partly cloudy sky. Even though the weather was great, snoozing the entire ten-hour flight didn't really take a toll on my motion sickness. I mean, I was still feeling nauseous and slightly light-headed, but it was better than before.

After another dreadful hour in the skies and a short bus trip from Tottori Airport to Tottori Station, I was finally able to board the train that took me to my final destination. When I boarded the train, it was already packed with commuters. I ended up standing with one of my overly, large and heavy, leather bag placed in between my legs, while clutching the thick leather straps strapped around my guitar case with one hand, and holding a luggage bag in another. The trip itself seemed to drag forever, even though it only lasted for half an hour. I kept myself occupied by taking pictures of the advertisements, the scenery outside, and the people. Not creepy at all.

"Next stop, Iwatobi Station," a female voice announced. It was coming from one of the metal-covered sub-woofers on the ceiling. "Iwatobi Station."

When the train came to a halt, the train's platform screen doors opened and I grabbed my belongings and exited the stuffy train. I felt a wave of relief as a gentle breeze blew by. I set my belongings down and stretched my stiff arms and neck until I heard a satisfying 'pop.' Damn, that felt good.

Uncle Shoji was waiting for me with his car. It was a white Honda CRV. I picked up my belongings and walked towards him. He gave me a tight hug, which made me let go of the luggage bags I was holding.

"Shion," I heard my uncle say. "Wow, last time I saw you, you were just a little girl with pigtails," he said, smiling as he made pigtail gestures on his head. "How's Takashi?"

"Dad's great, surfing as usual."

I had only a few bags. The two I'm carrying right now and my guitar. The rest, my father brought with him when he visited Tokyo last week for another surfing competition. Before he left for Tokyo, he and I went shopping to supplement my winter wardrobe. I didn't expect my luggage to exceed the limit of two, so Dad ended up paying extra.

"I found a nice motorcycle for you with a decent price," he announced when we were strapped in.

"What kind of motorcycle?" I was a little suspicious of the way he said "nice motorcycle for you" as opposed to just "nice motorcycle." Don't tell me he found a little, pink moped for me to cruise around in.

"It's a classic 1000, a Ducati."

"Where did you find it?"

"Do you remember the old mechanic that lived down at Yosano?" Yosano is a town located in Kyoto, Japan. It was where I was born.

"Yeah."

"Well, I paid the old man a visit," Uncle Shoji began, "I found out he was selling a handful of motorcycles and bikes to pay off rent. All of them looked pretty brand new."

"What year is it?" I could see from his change of expression that this was the question he was hoping I wouldn't ask.

"From what I heard, his nephew worked on the engine—the bike itself is a few years old, but the engine is brand new."

"When did he buy it?"

"He bought it in 1989."

"Is it new or secondhand?"

"He bought it secondhand. The bike was an original though, the real deal—but of course, he wanted to have the bike run until now and preserve the retro design, so he changed the engine to keep up with the generation," he said, placing his free hand behind his stiff neck. "By the way, what's up with the questions? You sound like your father right now."

I shook my head. "Uncle Shoji, I may know a thing or two about bikes, but a motorcycle? I don't think I'll be able to fix it if anything went wrong."

"Hey, the thing runs great. They don't build them like that anymore."

_The thing_, I thought to myself. It had possibilities—as a nickname. Vintage fits well.

"How much is it?"

"Well, Shion, your father and I kind of already bought it for you, as a homecoming gift." Uncle Shoji peeked sideways at me with a smile. "Welcome home!"

Nice, I got the motorcycle for free.

"You didn't need to do that. I was going to buy myself a bike instead."

Uncle Shoji chuckled and I looked at him. "I don't mind, honey. I want you to be happy here." He reached for my head with his free hand and ruffled my hair. I blushed pink and looked away.

"Thanks, uncle Shoji. I really appreciate it," I said, trying my best to sound enthusiastic. I wasn't comfortable expressing my emotions out loud. I inherited that from my father.

"You're very welcome," he replied, happily.

We exchanged a few more comments about my trip getting here, which wasn't too exciting, and that was pretty much it for conversation.

He turned the radio on and flipped through the stations using a knob. I let the windows down and found myself gazing at the—almost—empty streets of Iwatobi Town. There weren't that many people around, and it was pretty quiet.

A ray of sunshine peeked over a fluffy cloud and I shielded my eyes from the light. I pulled out my white sunglasses and slipped them on. The weather at Iwatobi wasn't as hot as I expected it to be. It was a little chilly, actually. Of course, nothing can compare to the heat of Australia. Ten minutes outside and you're either—depending on your skin tone and type—roasted pink, or tanned brown.

As we cruised the streets of Iwatobi, passing each building of some sort, I noticed at least three or four posters and signs relating to seafood, especially squid itself. There was this one shop we passed, and everything it sold was anything squid-related—squid key-chains, squid stuffed-toys, squid-topped pens and pencils, squid! Talk about squid-mania; I can even smell the crunchy odor of fried calamari, too.

Eventually we made it to my parents'. We stopped in front of the front gate; the gate had two mahogany pillars on either side, with a thick plank that connected both the pillars at the top. The right pillar included a plaque that said "Yosano-Nanase" in kanji. There was also a black-tiled roof at the top of the gate, and a tall, mahogany fence with small, black tiles at top that stretched far on either side of the pillars. Thick shrubs and bushes covered the front, including a large tree that stood on the left, behind the fence.

Uncle Shoji exited the car to open the gate. When he did, the walkway that trailed towards the house was a wide, stone-gravel path with dirt that grew plantation along either side of the road. To be honest, the scene looked like it came from the monthly issue of a gardening magazine.

"It's nice, huh?" Uncle Shoji said, strapping himself in. I agreed and we slowly entered the gate. Once we were in, we followed the stone-gravel road, passing a variety of potted-plants, bushes and cherry blossom trees. Behind the small forest of cherry blossom trees, I spotted a red, pointed-rooftop.

"What's that?" I said out loud. Uncle Shoji ducked his head to look through the windshield. "That's the shrine."

I looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "We live next to a shrine," I said nonchalantly.

"Pretty much," he chuckled and turned to look ahead. "It's not that bad, you know. We're fenced and protected, so it's alright." Good, I wouldn't want to see strangers walking across the lawn.

After a few moments of me gawking at the beautiful cherry blossoms, the car stopped moving.

"We're here."

Uncle Shoji and I now lived in the large, four-bedroom house that my parents' bought in the early days of their marriage. There, parked on the street in front of the house that never changed, was my new—well, new to me—motorcycle. It was polished black with a leather seat and a big, LED headlight at the front. To my surprise, I loved it.

It took two trips to get all my stuff upstairs. I got the west bedroom that faced out over the front yard. It was the second largest bedroom in the house; the first being the master bedroom. Both rooms included a walk-in closet, which was a great plus.

"I'm going to make lunch, Shion!" I heard my uncle say from the kitchen. I jumped onto the large bed and scanned the room. The wooden floor, the white-painted wood walls, and the light blue floral curtains around the windows—these were all part of my childhood. It reminded me of a beach cottage, back in Australia. The only changes uncle Shoji had ever made were switching the crib for a bed and adding a desk as I grew. The desk held a secondhand iMac, and a large, glass jar filled with clean, colorful seashells.

I sat up, slipped into my white slippers and explored the house. There were two bathrooms on the second floor and one half-bathroom on the first. Thank goodness I didn't have to share a bathroom with uncle Shoji. That would be a little awkward.

The last room I haven't checked was the room across from mine. It was the only bedroom with the door closed.

I pressed my ear against the door, and managed to hear nothing from the other side. It was good to go.

I reached for the door handle and pushed it down, unlocking the door. I managed to fit half of my body through the door without making a sound. But then, the door creaked and I froze right on the spot. I looked up and spotted a small lump underneath the covers of the bed. It was moving.

_Was someone asleep?_

I swiftly closed the door behind me and quietly walked towards the bed, reaching the edge of the blanket to raise it up. But before I even touched the quilt, I felt a pair of strong hands grab my waist. I jumped and grasped the bedcovers. Somehow, I managed to cloak myself and, whoever grabbed me, with the thick quilt. I struggled to escape, but his grip on me was strong. Without thinking, I stepped on the stranger's foot and he yelped in pain, losing his balance and falling backwards, taking me with him. I landed on hard muscle and continued to squirm; the thick blanket was making it hard to breathe.

"Shun-shun, stop! It's me!" I heard the stranger say and stopped struggling.

_Shun-shun?_ I thought to myself. I removed the blanket that covered my head and met a pair of blue eyes, similar to mine.

"Onii-chan?"

"Damn, what have you been eating?" Tatsuya joked and I gently punched his chest.

"Want me to punch you again?" I said, with a threatening tone and he stopped smiling.

"Try me," he smirked. Before I could raise my fist, he flipped me over and started tickling my sides.

"S-stop!" Was all I managed to say and continued to laugh uncontrollably. I tried pushing him away, but he just wouldn't budge. He towered my body by a lot —I mean, he was my older brother, after all.

_Arf-arf!_

Tatsuya stopped tickling me and sat up.

_Arf-arf!_

I turned to my side to catch my breath for a moment, and sat up afterwards. What was what?

"Meet Ryo!" Tatsuya announced.

"Ryo?" I questioned him, until suddenly; I felt something pounce on my lap.

The puppy licked my hand and wiggled his tail, greeting me. It was a black and white border collie.

"A puppy?"

"Yeah, Shun-shun! He's yours to keep," Tatsuya said, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and giving me a one-arm hug. Oh, how cute.

I ruffled the puppy's ears and it moved its furry head around my hand, enjoying my touch. Tatsuya chuckled at the sight, "He likes you."

I slipped my hand underneath Ryo's belly and began scratching. He continued to wag his tail with delight, his paws hunched. I smiled at the puppy and it barked at me.

Tatsuya and I continued to play with Ryo until uncle Shoji called us down for lunch.

"We should go," Tatsuya informed me, standing up.

"Yeah." I picked up Ryo and stood up, following Tatsuya out the door.

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_**Author's Note: Yo, feel free to review and provide feedback. It always helps!**_


	3. Chapter 2: Iwatobi High—Part 1: Welcome!

_**Disclaimer: I do not own FREE! or any of its characters, they belong to their respectful owners. What I do own, however, are my OC's.**_

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_**Chapter 2: Iwatobi High **_—_** Part One: Welcome!**_

Iwatobi High School had an average population of students; there were more than four hundred people in my junior class alone back in Australia. All of the kids here had grown up together—their grandparents had been toddlers together.

I would be the new girl from the big city, a curiosity, a foreigner, a freak.

When I finished putting my clothes in the walk-in closet, I took my bag of bathroom necessities and went to the bathroom to clean myself up after the day of travel. I looked at my face in the mirror as I brushed through my tangled, damp, dark hair. Maybe it was the light, but I already looked paler and unhealthy. My skin could be pretty—it was very clear, but it all depended on color, and right now, I had no color here, not even a slight tan.

I didn't sleep well that night, even after I was done gazing at the moon. I pulled the white blanket up to my neck and turned to face the fur-ball sleeping beside me. Ryo was curled up, sound asleep. But even after watching the small puppy slumber peacefully, I still couldn't fall sleep until after midnight, when the rustling of the cherry blossom trees settled down into a quieter breeze.

Radiant light was all I could see out my window in the morning. Since my walls were painted white, the sunlight reflected off its surface, making my room brighter than it is. I'll probably need to wear a pair of sunglasses every time I wake up—the light literally blinded my eyes. Pushing the thought aside, I sat up and stretched my arms, releasing a long yawn. My acts of stretching and yawning startled the young pup beside me, and woke up.

"Good morning, Ryo," I mumbled to the puppy, scratching its back. Ryo let out a small whimper and licked my wrist. I'll consider that as his act of replying to my greeting.

Scratching my back with one hand, I stood up and made my way towards the bathroom. The door was closed, so I suspected it was being used by either, uncle Shoji or my brother. Just by standing a foot away from the door, I could feel the steam escape from the bathroom—sauna perhaps? I knocked on the door, and it instantly opened, revealing a half-naked Tatsuya. His damp hair was pointing in different directions with some of the ends still dripping wet.

"Damn, put a shirt on," I told him for the thousandth time.

"Why, don't you wanna see this?" He began to flex his biceps and triceps, making them harden and more define.

I let out a yawn and tried to push the young man aside. I wasn't in the mood for this—too tired. "Move."

"I'm sure you were dazzled and googly-eyed. Don't deny it!" He said, and I frowned; like I've _never_ seen muscles before—_right._

"What's the _magic word_, Shun-shun," my older brother teased. He was holding the door with one hand, refusing to let me in the steam-filled bathroom. I crossed my arms and glared at him. He was waiting for my response.

"Well?"

Fast as I was, I reached for the towel that was wrapped around his waist and pulled it away from him. He yelled 'what' in surprise, and covered his bottom with his hand.

"Th-that's not the magic word!" He stammered in embarrassment. I tossed the towel back at him and he caught it with his other hand, trying to mask his manhood. "Pervert!"

"Say's the one that reads bikini magazines all-day." I pulled him away from the bathroom and locked the door behind me with triumph.

"What!? No! That's not true! Shion!" He said, banging his fist on the door. "I'll get you for this!"

I covered my mouth, trying my best to suppress my amusement. I see how it is, brother. Two can play this game.

Breakfast with uncle Shoji and Tatsuya was a quiet event—too quiet, for that matter. I suspected Onii-chan to pull a prank of some sort on me, but instead, he wished me good luck at school and left first, off to Samezuka Academy. It was an all-boys high school, a boarding school—also known as the swimming powerhouse. A few minutes after, uncle Shoji followed after him, heading off to his restaurant to work—he was one of the main chef's in-charge of the kitchen.

After he left, I sat at the rectangle birch table in one of the matching chairs and examined the kitchen. I noticed that every room in the house was styled with white-painted wood walls, light blue curtains, and at least, one or two jars filled with seashells. Somehow, the seashells emitted a 'beach-like' atmosphere, just like in Australia. The floor in the kitchen was white linoleum, instead of mahogany brown like the rest, and all of the appliances and wooden cabinets were white.

I didn't want to be too early to go to school, but I couldn't stay in the house anymore. I slipped into my uniform jacket, said goodbye to Ryo, and headed out the door. The sky looked exactly the same as it did yesterday, clear and blue. I reached for the house key that was in my pocket, and locked up. I paused to admire my motorcycle again; too bad I couldn't use it. I wasn't eligible to ride _the thing_ until I was eighteen years old. It sucked.

To make up for the loss of my motorcycle, Tatsuya let me borrow his old bike. It was a black mountain bike with two gears at the front and 10-speed at the rear. He even gave me his navy-blue baseball hat.

Adjusting the strap on the hat, I slipped it on. It smelled mildly of his cologne and hair gel. I pulled up the hem of my cycling shorts underneath my brown skirt and headed towards the front gate. The cherry blossoms around the house still manage to captivate me; they were just too pretty.

Closing the gate behind me, I swung my leg over the bike and made my way to Iwatobi High.

Finding the school wasn't difficult, though I'd never been there before. The school just off the street, near the ocean. It wasn't obvious that it was a school; only the sign, which declared it to be Iwatobi High School, plus the scattered individuals in dark-navy and brown uniforms entering the front gate, made me stop.

The high school was fairly large. It consisted of two massive buildings, both same in style and color, with a maroon-stone brick gate, occasionally with silver fences added on top, surrounding it. Trees and shrubs surrounded the identical buildings.

I parked at the back of the first building. No one else was parked there—I was the only one. I dismounted my bike and unzipped my backpack, pulling out a bike lock. I heard a 'click' and tugged on the strong, rubber cable that wrapped around the steel wheel and the bike rack to make sure it was secure. I studied the building before me and took a deep breath before entering the school.

Inside, it was brightly lit, and cooler than I'd hoped it would be. The hallway was wide with wooden floor boards and light green-colored walls with, occasionally, a bulletin board and posters posted, here and there. Every step I took, I heard the boards creak with a hallow 'thud' underneath.

The rear of the school wasn't as occupied and busy as it was at the front. I got lucky.

I continued to walk down the hallway until I found the area I was looking for. It was the locker room that consisted many small lockers for students to change their footwear in. Luckily, I spotted my locker as soon as I walked pass the third aisle.

'Nanase Shion,' it read—it was a top locker. I flipped the metal lid up and pulled out a white pair of uwabaki slippers with a green-colored stripe across the toes. I slipped them on and wiggled my toes to get used to their feel—they were pretty comfy.

The first bell rung and students began to flee to their homerooms. I slung my backpack over my shoulder and quickly left the area, trying my best to avoid and not get in the way of the students. Already, the hallways were just about empty. I looked to my right and spotted a full classroom of students with a teacher already taking attendance. I sighed and continued walking; I'm already late for class. I took a sharp right turn and suddenly bumped into someone. I heard the person gasp in surprise; it sounded like a female.

"Sorry," I said, and looked up to see who it was. It was a woman with loose, short auburn-colored hair and matching brown eyes. She carried a very young look, so I assume she didn't go pass 30. She was wearing a green cardigan and a cute white blouse with blue collars. I noticed that she was wearing a necklace with a small pink pendant, too.

"Ah, no, it's alright!" She apologized so sincerely. "I'm running a little late—do you need help?"

I raised my hand to hold the nape of my neck, slightly embarrassed. "I'm lost."

"Oh," she suppressed a laugh. "I can help you with that. What's your name?"

"Shion Nanase." I watched her flip through the attendance list she was holding and scrolled down the list of names using her index finger. She gasped again.

"Shion-san, you're with me!" She said, enthusiastically. I let out a sigh, what a relief. "By the way, no hats allowed!"

I followed the female teacher up the stairs and stopped when she entered the classroom, 2-1. I felt my heart beat faster than it should, and clutched onto my brother's hat. I can do this!

I entered the classroom, and observed what was happening. It only took a minute or two for the students to get settled in, taking their seats; that's when they noticed me. The female teacher placed the clipboard down onto the desk in front of her and introduced me to the class. I felt my cheeks heat up—all of the students were gawking at me with curiosity.

"She's not from around here, so please make her feel welcome!" The teacher finished.

Thankfully, she sent me to an empty desk at the back near the window. It was the second to last row, so I ended up sitting in front of a boy gazing outside. I kept my eyes locked towards the boy as I walked down the aisle of students looking at me, he seemed familiar.

I kept my eyes up on the chalkboard, avoiding the stares my classmates were giving. It was uncomfortable, this feeling. There was one boy with short, dark hair and glasses sitting at the front row. I noticed him looking at me and glanced towards him. His reaction was odd; he slightly jumped from his seat, clutching his pants. His cheeks flushed tomato red and he immediately turned his head towards the chalkboard, looking away. His face looked like he had seen a ghost. Did I scare him off that easily?

I sighed and rested my chin on my hand. The homeroom teacher began to take attendance, which caught everyone's attention to look towards the front of the classroom. She called out the names of the students in alphabetical order, alternating from boy-girl, boy-girl by last name. I learned that the name of the strange boy in the glasses was Akiyama Toshi-kun.

"Tadokoro Junichi-kun."

"Here."

"Tezuka Kaori-san."

"Here!"

The teacher paused for a moment before saying the next name. "Um, Nanase Haruka-san," she called out, and the class began to snicker. So, that's why he looked so familiar; we shared the same last name together. I turned around to look at the boy sitting behind me, and met his blue eyes. His gaze was fixed directly towards mine.

"Shi—" He only managed to say; the tall boy with olive-brown hair sitting beside him raised his hand, interrupting him.

"Ma'am, Haruka's a guy!" he said. This time, the students released their laughter uncontrollably. Some even turned around to smile at the boy.

"Oh, you're right!" She said. "I'm sorry, Nanase-kun."

"No worries," Haruka mumbled, looking away. I did the same, and turned to face the front.

"Ah, you and Shion-san were absent yesterday, right?" She informed, and the students returned to stare at me, again. "I'm Amakata Miho-sensei, your new homeroom teacher. It's nice to meet you!"

After Amakata-sensei welcomed Haruka and I, she returned to read the rest of the names and double-checked for any absentees. Apparently, there was only two students absent—in total, 30 students; if they were present. The absentee's names were Hanamura Yuudai and Katou Ryou. The seat beside mine was empty, so I assumed that seat was taken by one of boys.

When the bell rang, everyone stood from their seats and thanked Amakata-sensei with a bow. She reminded everyone to be on their best behavior and recited a quote of some sort—I think it was from Macbeth—and left the classroom. Once she was out of sight, students stood up and socialized yet again with their peers. There was nowhere to look without meeting curious eyes, here and there.

"I heard Ama-chan-sensei is from this area." I turned my head to look at the person that mentioned our homeroom teacher. It was a normal-looking boy with brown hair and brown eyes, talking to another student wearing a cotton blue vest.

"She went to college in Tokyo and found a job there, but she came back after her dream fell through."

I wasn't alone with the eavesdropping; everyone within a three-seat radius listened to the conversation, as well.

"What was her dream?" The dark green-haired boy asked.

"Beats me; maybe she wanted to go into music or dance?" I continued to eavesdrop, but they changed the topic to something else. I think it had something to do with robots in a video-game.

I gazed out the window and noticed a hawk fly around in circles, high above the sky. I watched the bird soar in the sky, flapping its wings, then gliding back again. It looked so graceful, independent—so free. I want to be like that; escape from my worries and troubles—from everything.

"We're supposed to be learning from a woman who became a teacher as plan B?" I heard Haruka say, and snapped out of my trance. "I want to go home."

I let out a sigh; I absolutely agree with you. I speculate that all we're ever going to learn from that literature teacher were random quotes and sayings from epics, like 'The Odyssey' or plays written by Shakespeare, like 'Romeo and Juliet'. I took another glance at the bird one last time, and suddenly felt my phone vibrate in my skirt's pocket. I pulled it out and pressed the main button. It was none other than Onii-chan.

_Call?_

I swiped the screen, unlocking my phone and tapped 'Messages' to reply.

_Yeah, in a bit_, I typed, and locked my phone. I stuffed everything in my bag, slung the strap over my shoulder, and stood from my seat, making my way towards the exit. I stole a quick glance behind me, towards Haruka, and tightened my grip on my backpack strap. His eyes, similar to mine, locked for a moment before I disappeared in the student-filled hallways.

The last words I heard Haruka's classmate say to him before I left the classroom was, "So lunch—wanna eat on the roof?"

* * *

Haruka's gaze was fixed upon Shion as she packed her things. She turned around to look at him, one more time, before exiting the classroom.

_Interesting_, he thought to himself.

"So lunch…" Makoto said, interrupting him from his trance. Haruka looked at Makoto, as he pulled out his bento wrapped in orange cloth. "Wanna eat on the roof?"

Haruka sighed in disappointment.

_He really needs to get a clue._

* * *

_****__Author's Note: Yo, feel free to review and provide feedback. It always helps!_


	4. Chapter 2: Iwatobi High—Part 2: FMLRTY

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Free!, neither its plot nor character's. They belong to their respectful owners. What I do own, however, are my OC's._**

**_Author's Note: The chapter title couldn't fit, so I abbreviated it.  
_**

* * *

**_Chapter 2: Iwatobi High_****_—Part 2: Familiarity_**  


"Gou, what are you doing? Hurry up!" The female student called. She was running towards the school's canteen, followed by another student trying to catch up with her.

"Hold on!" Gou said, trying to catch her breath. "And don't call me Gou!" She closed her eyes and continued to run as far as her body could handle. The moment she opened her eyes, a blonde boy appeared and pushed her out of the way.

"Sorry!" The boy said, not looking back. Gou stopped running and paused to watch the boy as he ran farther and farther away from her.

_That face_, she thought. Gou tried her very best to familiarize the boy until finally, she got it and gasped. _That boy! I know him!_

* * *

I walked around the school and searched for a decent place to eat my lunch. I tried the open field, but the area was too occupied with athletic individuals, either kicking a soccer ball around, or playing baseball. Plus, the dust was bothersome; I didn't want sand in my food.

The last area I haven't checked was the school's garden. The fact that the school actually had a garden surprised me; the area was large with bushes, shrubs, and a variety of trees such as, cherry blossoms. There were also patches of green grass scattered around the garden, varying from size to size. I picked the farthest patch of them all, which grew a cherry blossom tree.

I removed my jacket and sat down on the soft grass, underneath the shade of the tree, and pulled out my wrapped-bento from my backpack. It was wrapped in a navy-blue cloth, patterned with raindrops. I lifted the lid of my bento and raised an eyebrow. Since uncle Shoji was a chef, I expected my lunch to be a simple bento with rice, meat, and vegetables. Instead, the bento was just as creative and colorful as a painting would be. The fried salmon was shaped into a heart with special sauce drizzled over it, and the vegetables such as, grape tomatoes, sautéed onions, cucumber, and lettuce were designed around the heart, and around the small blob of well-cooked white rice. The bento looked like a flower.

To preserve the work of art, I pulled out my phone and took a picture. I decided to send the picture to both my brother and father, which included a small message at the bottom. _Mmm, so good._

My father replied with a picture of him eating a burger with fries, and text, "_I want some! Gimme, gimme!"_

My brother on the other hand, sent me a picture of him stuffing himself with food, and text, _"Nomnomnom! Call!"_

I frowned, and popped a grape tomato in my mouth. I pressed the green call symbol, which dialed his phone number instantly and I tapped the speaker button. Adjusting the volume of the speaker, I waited for Onii-chan to pick up.

"Yo," my brother greeted. I could hear the clicking noises of his chopsticks being used. "What's up?"

"Eating, same as you," I said, picking up a piece of the salmon and putting it in my mouth. It was so good…

"Uncle Shoji is the best! It's too bad though—I'm gonna miss this," he said, and stuffed his mouth with food again.

"You're not coming home?" I asked, disappointed.

"Yeah, it sucks. I can't keep coming back and forth—I mean, this is a boarding school after all. They provide everything."

"Oh," was all I said, and continued eating my lunch. There was a long moment of silence, until suddenly, I heard Onii-chan greet one of his friends, and ask whom he was talking to.

"Is it your girlfriend?" I heard his friend say.

"What, no! It's my little sister—he says 'hi', by the way." Did he just call me _little_?

"Anyways, how are the classes so far?" He asked. I could hear chatter in the background.

"Good."

"Made any friends yet?"

I opened my mouth, but closed it back again. I hesitated to give him a response, "No."

"Come on, Shun-shun! Introduce yourself! I'm sure they'll come to like you!" I sighed. I think the correct term for 'like' would be 'scare-off' instead. I told Onii-chan about the incident with the boy in glasses, and he laughed.

"He's probably just nervous, that's all," he replied. "Say 'hi' to him."

"No thanks."

"Not even a slight wave?"

"No."

"A smile?"

"..."

Tatsuya sighed, "Shion, Dad didn't send you to Japan for nothing. He wanted you to start over and socialize—make friends, and be happy. And now's the perfect opportunity to do that; it's now or never, you know."

I glanced up at the sky and thought about what Onii-chan said, his words echoing in my mind. I guess I can give it a shot. I mean, it's just one person, right?

"Shun-shun?"

"Yeah, I'm still here," I informed him.

"It's not that hard, you know. Just be yourself, and don't forget to show that beautiful smile!" My cheeks flushed pink. Somehow, he always seems to know what to do to cheer me up, and that's what I like about Onii-chan. He's similar to Dad that way.

"Alright, I'll try."

"That's the spirit! You can do it!" My brother cheered. I heard his friend cheer 'Go, go, go!' in the background and smiled.

We both continued to engage into conversation, something we haven't done in a long, long time. It felt good, actually. Unfortunately, Tatsuya needed to go and we both said our goodbyes. I ended the call and leaned back to lie down onto the grass, enjoying the view of the cherry blossoms. The cool breeze picked up and rustled the branches, shaking some of the pink petals that landed around me. I watched one petal fall and softly land on the tip of my nose. It tickled, so I picked the petal up and stared at it for a moment, before letting the breeze carry it away.

"I think I'm going to make a new friend today," I mumbled to myself, and sat up. With an objective in mind, I quickly finished my lunch and left the garden, making my way back towards the school, jacket in hand. I took the long way around instead, and ended up taking a stroll down the dusty field.

I was halfway there, until suddenly, I felt something touch my ankle and looked down to see what it was. It was a baseball.

I picked it up and scanned the field, seeking its owner. I found a boy waving his arm around yelling, "Over here! Here!"

_I guess it wouldn't hurt to throw it back_, I thought to myself. I took a step back and threw the baseball as hard as I could. The baseball soared into the air, a perfect throw. The boy caught it swiftly with his other gloved-hand with ease.

"Thanks!" he yelled back, and I raised my hand, signaling him a 'You're welcome'. Just before I started walking again, I felt as if someone was approaching me and turned around to see who it was.

"Nice arm you got there." It was a tall boy with copper-brown hair and blue-green eyes. His hair was wavy and messy, but soft, and had his white sleeves rolled up to his elbows with his left hand covered in a leather baseball glove. The guy looked like one of those athletic jocks with enthusiastic grins stamped on their baby faces. Honest to say, he was good-looking.

"Thanks."

"What's your name?"

"Shion," I informed him, and noticed a spark of interest in his blue-green eyes.

"I'm Yuu," he said, reaching to shake my hand. I offered my hand to him, and he gently shook it—his grip was strong.

"You're new, aren't you?"

"It's my first day," I told him and he looked at me with curious eyes. Did I scare him off yet?

"Explains why I didn't see you at the opening ceremony." He continued. "Not many girls can throw like that, who tau—"

"Yo, Yuu!" A boy yelled from afar, interrupting him in mid-sentence. "Let's go, we have a game to finish!"

"Alright, I'm coming!" He replied back, and looked at me again. Yuu scratched his head, he was a little disappointed. "I gotta go. Maybe we can hang out sometime and talk some more."

"Yeah..." I paused for a moment, and noticed the color of his necktie. It was green, same as mine. "Yuu-kun."

He chuckled; I saw that his cheeks flushed pink. "There's no need for the honorifics, miss. Just Yuu is fine. I'll see you around, um." He paused and studied my face to remember my name. Short-term memory loss, he'd already forgotten my name. Figures...

"Shion," I said.

"Right! Shion!" He remembered, and chuckled to himself. "Sorry, I'm not very good with names," he said sincerely. At least he was honest about it. He waved goodbye and jogged towards his group of friends. Once he was a good distance away, I pulled out my phone, and began to type my text message to Tatsuya.

_I made a new friend._

* * *

**_Earlier…_**

"I didn't bring lunch," Haruka informed, as he descended down the stairs. Makoto followed closely beside him, his wrapped-bento in hand.

"Go buy something, then?" Makoto suggested, both boys reaching a break of flat surface. "Or do you want some of this?" Makoto raised his left hand that held something wrapped in newspaper and opened it for Haruka to see. "Squid."

Haruka stared at the delicacy for a moment, deciding whether to accept his offer. But before he could answer, heavy panting and loud steps caught his attention.

"Haru-chan! Mako-chan!" A young, blonde boy called out. He was waving his right arm and both boys turned their heads. "It's been forever!" He panted, finally gaining their attention. "I'll be joining you here at Iwatobi High School."

There was a long pause until both the second years looked at each other, confused by what the boy had called them.

"Mako-chan?"

"Haru-chan?" They echoed. Until finally, both boys gasped and turned to look at the blonde. "Nagisa?!" The boys exclaimed at the same time. Nagisa chuckled and smiled at their response.

The trio quickly went to the school's canteen for Haruka to buy lunch. Nagisa, the impatient boy he is, was very persistent and hurried his childhood friends to the roof. The roof held a beautiful view; lush green mountains, clear blue skies, and the perfect view of the ocean. Not many students visited this place, so it held a quiet, peaceful setting.

"How many years has it been?" Makoto asked Nagisa. He was facing the ocean, enjoying the view. "I don't think I saw you after the swimming club was shut down."

"Yep, because I went to a different school," Nagisa replied. He was facing the ocean as well, until something caught his attention, which brought back a flood of memories from his childhood. "There are cherry blossom trees next to the pool!" He pointed out, excited. "Weren't there cherry blossom trees next to the pool at your grade school, Haru-chan?"

Haruka turned to glare at cheerful blonde, annoyed. "Can you stop calling me that?" He said seriously.

"But that's your name, Haru-chan," Nagisa informed, and turned his head to look at him. They stared at each other for a moment, as if they were arguing mentally.

"But that pool is old and not in use," Makoto interrupted, going back to the main topic at hand. "There's no swim club, either."

Haruka shrugged his shoulders slightly in disappointment. "Where do you swim, then?" Nagisa questioned.

"I quit swimming competitively," Haruka replied, coldly. His facial expression was as flat as a brick. Nagisa gasped at his answer. "What?! Why'd you quit?! I was all excited about getting to swim with you again in high school!"

Haruka sighed, "We're not little kids anymore. Thing's aren't the way they used to be."

"Haru-chan..." Nagisa said; he was deeply disappointed.

"Well, he stopped swimming competitively, but he still loves water," Makoto continued. "Haru can't live without being in the water. During the summer, he swims in the ocean, and he was soaking in the tub this morning."

"What does that have to do with swimming?" Nagisa questioned, confused. Haruka sighed, frustrated with the blonde's intellect. "That just means he likes baths." Nagisa commented. He paused for a moment to think, and finally came up with an idea. "I know! How about a hot springs club?"

Haruka rolled his eyes and continued admiring the ocean in front of him, ignoring the blonde. "Let's start a hot springs club!" Nagisa persisted, shaking Haruka's shoulder.

"I can't stand the heat."

"Don't be like that!"

"No."

"Okay, then..."

"I refuse."

"I didn't say anything yet!" Nagisa retorted. Makoto watched the two as they continued to argue, and smiled.

_Nagisa hasn't changed one bit._

He peeled his eyes from the two boys and looked down. Not only did the roof offer a wonderful landscape of the ocean and mountains, it also held a wide view of the school's field. From there, he spotted the new transfer student, Shion-san. She picked up a baseball and threw it towards the center of the field, a boy catching the baseball effortlessly.

Makoto leaned forward slightly and began stare at the girl. _Where have I seen you before_, he thought to himself.

He placed his elbow on the ledge and rested his face on his hand. The fact that he was so immersed into figuring out who this girl was, he didn't notice Nagisa sneaking up behind him. Haruka watched as Nagisa approached the tall boy, and scared him with all his might. Makoto jumped and shrieked so loud, the other students around them turned to look.

"N-N-Nagisa!" Makoto stammered. He placed his hand in front of his heart and turned around to lean backwards at the ledge, holding him for support. Nagisa, the skilled joker he is, continued laughing uncontrollably.

"W-What'd you do that for?" Makoto said, still trying to catch his breath.

"What are you looking at, Mako-chan?" Nagisa asked, curiously. Makoto's cheeks blushed pink and turned his back on him. "N-Nothing!" He stammered. Haruka raised one of his eyebrows and looked at Nagisa, he was smirking.

"You're lying, Mako-chan! It's written all over your face!" Nagisa confirmed, walking around the tall boy and leaning forward to look at his face, which was already beet red. "Are you looking at a girl?"

"W-What! No! No! No girl!" Makoto sputtered, raising his hands to protest. He looked at Haruka and saw him roll his eyes. The green-eyed boy gulped hard and hoped his best friend wouldn't say a word. Unfortunately for him, he did.

"Lies," Haruka said, calmly. Makoto turned his back to them, yet again, and mumbled something to himself, completely embarrassed. Nagisa chuckled and patted him on the back.

"It's alright Mako-chan! You can tell us." Nagisa said, sarcastically. "No need to be shy."

"No! It's a secret!" Makoto answered, trying to avoid the blonde as best as he can. Makoto was such a bad liar.

"Aww, Mako-chan, don't worry, we'll help you out!" Nagisa suggested. He turned to look at Haru-chan, whom was staring into the ocean. "Right, Haru-chan?"

Haruka opened his mouth to reply, and then paused for a moment. "Whatever."

"Great!" Nagisa exclaimed. He turned to Makoto, who was still recovering from earlier, and laughed. "Can I start the guessing game?"

Makoto's body tensed and his blush returned. "No! That's just going to give it all away!"

"Fine, how about one guess per class?" Nagisa suggested. Makoto shook his head, declining. "Per day?" Nagisa asked again, and Makoto repeated the same action, no. "Every week, perhaps?" Makoto looked at him, and thought about the idea for a moment. Haruka sighed, annoyed, and interrupted them.

"How about never?" He said sternly. "If he likes a girl, just leave him alone to deal with it." Makoto sighed deeply with relief. Thank goodness. Nagisa crossed his arms and huffed. "If you say so, Haru-chan… But don't come to me for advice!" He scoffed, beginning to turn his heel and walk towards the exit.

Makoto patted Haruka on the shoulder and thanked him for his help. The blue-eyed boy rolled his eyes and followed the blonde. Before Makoto could take another step, he noticed a girl looking at him. She was sitting with a friend near the rooftop's exit. The burgundy-hair colored female nodded her head and Makoto gave her a confused expression.

"Huh?" He mumbled and quickly caught up with Haruka and Nagisa, who were already descending the first couple of stairs.

"Hey, have you heard?" Nagisa began. He gripped tightly onto the stair's ledge as he leaned to the right, swinging his other arm from side to side. "The swimming club we went to in grade school is gonna be torn down soon." Haruka's eyes widened in surprise and continued listening to Nagisa. "So, before that happens, why don't we pay a visit?" Nagisa descended the stairs childishly and jumped the last stair, landing perfectly on a stair break and turning around to look at his friends.

"To dig that up?" Makoto questioned.

"Exactly! We can sneak in at night..." Nagisa said, and began to emphasize the term 'sneaking' by raising his hands up like a monster, just like he did when scaring Makoto a little while ago.

"You can go by yourself," Haruka said seriously, descending the stairs quickly to avoid the subject.

"Don't say that! Come with us, Haru-chan!" Nagisa whined, waving his hands, and stopping the dark-haired boy in his tracks.

"I'm not going."

"Don't you think it'll be fun?" Nagisa flung himself to Haruka's side, shaking his arm.

"I don't," Haruka finally said, turning his back to the blonde. The magenta-eyed boy let out a disappointed 'aw', and slid down Haruka's shoulder.

"Why don't you just humor him?" Makoto suggested. Haruka looked at him briefly with an eyebrow raised and regretted it.

"No, it's too much effort."

"But there's a pool there," Makoto said, scratching his chin. He noticed Haruka's eyebrow twitch, trying not to give in. "A pool is much bigger than a bathtub." This time, Haruka turned around; his eyes were twinkling.

"Fine, I'll go," Haruka said, giving up. Nagisa cheered, and at the same time, the bell rang, informing the students that lunch was over. He descended the stairs quickly, with the two boys catching up to the childish blonde, telling him to slow down.

* * *

**_Meanwhile..._**

I changed into my uwabaki slippers and left the locker area. The bell had already rung, and students began to occupy the empty hallways, making their way towards their homerooms. Before I entered the classroom, I saw Yuu with his group of baseball friends from the corner of my eye. He stood out from the rest due to his height and color of his hair; he was easily noticeable.

I didn't expect him to see me, due to the amount of students crowded around, but somehow, he did. He glanced up, noticing my presence, and turned to talk to his friends. I saw him give them high-fives and fist-bumps, and jogged towards me with a grin planted on his face.

"Hi, again!" He greeted cheerfully. "Is this your homeroom?"

"Yeah."

"That's my homeroom, too." He seemed thrilled, though it wasn't that big of a coincidence in a school this small.

We walked inside the class together; he was a chatterer—he supplied most of the conversation, which made it easy for me. Taking my seat, I watched as students began entering the room and occupying the empty seats. Yuu sat beside me—he was Hanamura Yuudai, one of the absentee's from this morning. I watched him greet and talk to the students around him; I found the reason for his absence this morning; apparently, he overslept.

The last people that entered the classroom before the teacher walked in, were Haruka and his friend, Tachibana Makoto, I believe his name was.

As they walked down the rows of students, making their way towards their seats, I glanced up to look at Makoto. He was tall—just like Yuu—with olive-brown hair that looked very soft to touch, and droopy, emerald-green eyes. His facial appearance was inviting, kind and gentle; he was always smiling.

Makoto noticed me staring at him, and flashed one of his signature smiles. I raised an eyebrow, my cheeks flushing pink, and looked away. I'm not sure how long I was staring for, but as of right now, I felt a little embarrassed.

The rest of the afternoon passed in about the same fashion. My Chemistry teacher, Daichi-sensei, was the only one who made me stand in front of the class and solve scientific equations on the chalkboard. Maybe he was picking on me since I was the 'new girl', or he snooped around and found my report card. But then again, it didn't really matter to me—Science was one of my few favorite subjects.

The final bell rang at last—finally, I get to go home. I walked slowly to the locker area to exchange my uwabaki slippers into my brown loafers. I'd already said goodbye to Yuu—I left the classroom as soon as the bell had rung.

I took a quick turn down my aisle and suddenly, I managed to bump into another person. Oh great. I heard something fall and hit the floor with a 'smack'. It was probably a textbook.

"Tch, you're the second person I bumped into today," I mumbled, rubbing my head in frustration. If this keeps up, I'll end up going home bruised and in crutches.

"I'm really sorry! It was my fault, I wasn't looking!" The person I bumped into was on the floor, trying to gather their belongings. I squat down to help the person out, and picked up two notebooks. On the top right-hand corner of the notebook, there was a name, and it read 'Matsuoka Gou' in kanji.

Matsuoka.

_Matsuoka._

I froze and stared at the name. That name. I know that name.

I glanced up at the person in front of me. It was a young girl with long, burgundy-colored hair tied up into a ponytail. She had bangs with magenta-colored eyes and wore a grey cardigan underneath her uniform jacket; the color of her tie was red, indicating that she was in first year. The thing that caught me by surprise was the color of her hair and eyes. She looked so similar—he looked just like _him_.

"Matsuoka…" I murmured, and she instantly looked at me.

"Yeah, that's me," she smiled, and I handed her the notebooks I was holding. "And who are you?"

"Nanase Shion," I replied, standing up. She did the same and dusted any form of dirt and debris off the bottom of her skirt.

"Nanase..." she trailed off. There was a moment of silence between us, until she gasped in surprise, and stepped forward. The girl was a little too close—personal bubble—so I stepped back. "N-Nanase!?" she exclaimed, studying my face rather apprehensively with her child-like eyes. "You're Nanase Shion?"

I raised an eyebrow and nodded my head. She sounded like a crazy fan.

"Wow, it's nice to finally meet you! My brother talks about you a lot," she informed me, smiling. My eyes widened in surprise, and I looked away.

"I'm sure he does," I said, nonchalantly.

"How is he?"

I opened my mouth, and closed it back. Instead of verbally replying, I shrugged my shoulders.

"Huh?" she said. Confusion was written all-over her young face.

"I haven't made any contact with him, whatsoever." Was all I said, and her expression changed to disappointment.

"Oh," she mumbled. "How come? Did something happen between you two?"

A flood of memories began to cloud my mind.

The surfing competition.

Aya.

The fight.

Him.

I looked away again, and she let out a sigh.

"I guess it can't be helped. I was hoping to get some answers from you an—" She stopped in mid-sentence and turned around. We both heard heavy footsteps and constant, light panting. Someone was coming.

"Gou, let's go! I wanna go home. You're taking too lo—" Another girl appeared and stopped to stand behind the burgundy-haired girl. She had copper-brown hair that was styled into a bun and blue-green eyes.

I tilted my head to the side to get a better look. The color of her hair and eyes were similar to Yuu. Siblings, perhaps?

"O-oh. A-am I interrupting something?" she said, and took a step back, preparing to retreat.

I shook my head and slung my backpack over my shoulder. "Nothing, I was just about to leave. See you around, Gou." And I left the locker area, leaving both girls dumbfounded and confused.

"Who was that?" The copper-haired girl asked. Gou simply shook her head, and turned to face her friend.

"Just someone I used to know."

* * *

**_Author's Note: Yo, feel free to leave a review and provide feedback. It always helps!  
_**


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